MUSIC REVIEW
Write a 100-200 word review of a track from the Parkland: A Season for Giving (2008) CD. You will be graded on content (see below) and presentation (neatness, spelling, etc.). Type your review on a separate sheet and turn in this form with it.
Music reviews are concise, knowledgeable, creative and insightful. Don’t waste a single word. To get an idea of the style of a music review, go to web sites like www.rollingstone.com and read some reviews. Reviews often make comparisons (either to other works by the artist, or to other artists) and include opinions backed by evidence (albeit subjective). One important difference is that you are reviewing the track you are assigned for BOTH its MUSICAL and PRODUCTION value, NOT simply the performer. Comment, praise and criticize the way the song is put together, performed (by everyone involved), and produced (technical and stylistic decision).
Ten (10) points will be deducted for every day this assignment is late.
Presentation [10]:
(spelling, neatness, uses language well)
Length [25]:
(25 points, 100+ words; 0 points, less than 100 words)
Concise [15]:
(“Don’t waste a single word.”)
Knowledgeable [25]:
(observant and accurate praise/criticism)
Creative/Insightful [25]:
(Interesting language, novel or insightful praise/criticism)
TOTAL SCORE [100]:
EXAMPLE from PHS Music Production Class:
Xxxx Xxxx's version of jingle bells is best described as "eclectic." Over the three minutes and ten seconds of music, Loch explores various styles of music, blending them all together creatively in what becomes a very unconventional version of a holiday classic.
The tune starts out with a synthy electric introduction with a nice sweeping crescendo that brings you right up to the opening statement and gets you hooked immediately with curiosity. A rock chorus driven by synth guitars and drums amps up the excitement. But just when you're expecting a similar rock-driven verse, Loch mixes things up with a latin drum beat with heavy slap bass and an echoing nylon guitar playing the melody before giving you the verse you were expecting. The playout of the song is just as unexpected and quite pleasant. He gives a nice bridge with a rock organ variation of the chorus with an upright bass and some kind of musette with a straight beat in the background before closing out with one more verse.
The song is constructed effectively, keeping the listener interested with pleasant surprises throughout the song and good mixing for the most part.
I found myself wanting a little more bass in the first chorus and some parts of the track seemed a little shallow at times, like I wanted more harmony sometimes but there wasn't any besides in the bass which made it feel like there was a lot of open space from time to time. I also thought the syth horns sounded a bit cheesy and wished they had been real or had been replaced by a better synth.
However I am a huge fan of the mixture of the latin beat, slap bass, and nylon guitar mixture in the verse and restated chorus. It isn't a track list I would have ever thought to put together, but Loch does a good job of mixing them so that I wonder why no one ever thought of it before.
All in all this is a satisfying track that still has a lot of potential for being made better. I believe it one of the stronger tracks on the album.
Write a 100-200 word review of a track from the Parkland: A Season for Giving (2008) CD. You will be graded on content (see below) and presentation (neatness, spelling, etc.). Type your review on a separate sheet and turn in this form with it.
Music reviews are concise, knowledgeable, creative and insightful. Don’t waste a single word. To get an idea of the style of a music review, go to web sites like www.rollingstone.com and read some reviews. Reviews often make comparisons (either to other works by the artist, or to other artists) and include opinions backed by evidence (albeit subjective). One important difference is that you are reviewing the track you are assigned for BOTH its MUSICAL and PRODUCTION value, NOT simply the performer. Comment, praise and criticize the way the song is put together, performed (by everyone involved), and produced (technical and stylistic decision).
Ten (10) points will be deducted for every day this assignment is late.
Presentation [10]:
(spelling, neatness, uses language well)
Length [25]:
(25 points, 100+ words; 0 points, less than 100 words)
Concise [15]:
(“Don’t waste a single word.”)
Knowledgeable [25]:
(observant and accurate praise/criticism)
Creative/Insightful [25]:
(Interesting language, novel or insightful praise/criticism)
TOTAL SCORE [100]:
EXAMPLE from PHS Music Production Class:
Xxxx Xxxx's version of jingle bells is best described as "eclectic." Over the three minutes and ten seconds of music, Loch explores various styles of music, blending them all together creatively in what becomes a very unconventional version of a holiday classic.
The tune starts out with a synthy electric introduction with a nice sweeping crescendo that brings you right up to the opening statement and gets you hooked immediately with curiosity. A rock chorus driven by synth guitars and drums amps up the excitement. But just when you're expecting a similar rock-driven verse, Loch mixes things up with a latin drum beat with heavy slap bass and an echoing nylon guitar playing the melody before giving you the verse you were expecting. The playout of the song is just as unexpected and quite pleasant. He gives a nice bridge with a rock organ variation of the chorus with an upright bass and some kind of musette with a straight beat in the background before closing out with one more verse.
The song is constructed effectively, keeping the listener interested with pleasant surprises throughout the song and good mixing for the most part.
I found myself wanting a little more bass in the first chorus and some parts of the track seemed a little shallow at times, like I wanted more harmony sometimes but there wasn't any besides in the bass which made it feel like there was a lot of open space from time to time. I also thought the syth horns sounded a bit cheesy and wished they had been real or had been replaced by a better synth.
However I am a huge fan of the mixture of the latin beat, slap bass, and nylon guitar mixture in the verse and restated chorus. It isn't a track list I would have ever thought to put together, but Loch does a good job of mixing them so that I wonder why no one ever thought of it before.
All in all this is a satisfying track that still has a lot of potential for being made better. I believe it one of the stronger tracks on the album.